Counselling Psychology is embedded in the discipline of psychology and concerns itself with applied areas of psychological work, which overlap with the provinces of psychotherapy, clinical psychology, counselling and psychiatry. The Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology is therefore designed to provide opportunities for professional and personal development as a Counselling Psychologist. This is achieved by facilitating the development of a flexible, reflective and critical approach to Counselling Psychology theory, research, and practice. The programme objective is to produce graduates with a solid grounding in the theory, research and clinical skills relevant to Counselling Psychology. The clinical focus of the training is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with core skills drawn also from Humanistic Therapy. In the third and fourth year of the training trainees will consider Psychodynamic approaches and will be introduced to Cognitive Analytic therapy (CAT). We aim to equip our trainees to meet the unique needs of their clients, they will be able to work while holding ideas in tension and embracing dilemmas within their therapeutic practice.

The admissions procedure involves a written application, an interview and a research proposal; short listing is conducted by the admissions team. At least two members of academic staff will review each application before a decision is made.

As someone who has already been awarded Chartered Counselling Psychologist status by the BPS, you will be awarded AEL/ advanced standing for the clinical and practice elements of the programme and the time component of taking these studies. No exemption can be claimed against the research part of the programme or in situations where a professional body excludes it. If successful in achieving a place trainees will have to attend the research skills training elements, individual research supervision, annual reviews of progress and fulfil the research requirements of the programmewhich will include submitting and subsequently defending at an oral viva examination a dissertation of 30,000 (+ 10%) words.

Applicants would also be expected to have fulfilled all the admissions criteria detailed below and to have fulfilled the intended learning objectives in operation by the BPS at the time of them being awarded chartership. In addition applicants must normally have been awarded chartered Counselling Psychologist status with the BPS in the preceding 6 years. Any applicants who obtained Chartered status before that time are advised to contact the research co-ordinator tutor to discuss their application.

Essential criteria:

• Chartered Counselling psychologist status.
• Competencies in oral and written English which should satisfy the University’s entrance requirements
• A high quality research proposal document of 5000 words proposing research which has the capacity to advance the discipline and profession of Counselling Psychology and which the trainee can discuss appropriately at the interview/registration panel
• Evidence that the applicant is capable of Doctoral work (i.e. that the applicant obtained a merit or comparable award for their MSc dissertation) and will complete in the given timescale
• Evidence of ongoing personal and professional development; currently engaging in supervised clinical or research work

In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, then IELTS 7.5 (or equivalent) is required which incorporates a minimum of 7.5 in writing and speaking, together with a minimum of 7.5 in listening and reading. International qualifications will be checked for appropriate matriculation to UK Higher Education postgraduate programmes.

The research proposal will be scrutinised carefully by the programme team for viability before candidates are permitted to proceed with their research as a student on the Conversion Professional Doctorate (PsychD) in Counselling Psychology.

The admissions policy strives to provide equal opportunities to all applicants and does not discriminate on the grounds of age, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Applicants are invited for interview on the basis of relevant experience and academic excellence.

Conversion Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (PsychD)

The structure of the Conversion Professional Doctorate Programme for trainees who have been granted entry with advanced standing and been awarded Chartered Counselling Psychologist status from the BPS is as follows: on a part time basis, trainees will attend research skills training sessions, research support groups and individual research supervision over a two year academic period and during this time will submit the doctoral epistemological essay, research progress reviews and attend annual monitoring reviews. They will subsequently submit a 30, 000 word length doctoral thesis and attend the oral viva examination. Professional doctorate programmes can be either ‘taught’ or ‘research’ in their emphasis (that is, when measured by student effort). Both have equal status and share the same learning outcomes. You should check with the relevant school to find out where the emphasis is for this particular programme.

The teaching methods used are varied and include: workshops, lectures, discussions, experiential group work, skills work in small groups, dissertation supervision, practical work and self-directed private study. Assessment is ongoing and includes one essay, annual monitoring reviews, doctoral progress assignments and the submission of a doctoral thesis.

The aim of our approach is two-fold; it seeks not only to assess students' progress but also to encourage and foster achievement of high standards of performance in both practice and theory.

Assessment is designed to test student progress in developing powers of perception, recall, critical analysis, reflection, flexibility, and creative imagination and to assess professional development. It is intended to be progressive, both encouraging and reflecting an increasing depth of critical understanding and the continuing development of essential professional skills and knowledge.

Completion of the conversion Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology may enable graduates to enhance their career options.

Successful applicants must ensure they have professional indemnity insurance as this is a condition of enrolment on all parts of the programme.

Candidates for a Professional Doctorate must, prior to the submission of the research derived assessment, successfully complete all assessed elements from the taught part of the programme. Once the research stage of the programme is reached progression will be formally reviewed annually by a Panel comprised of staff with appropriate academic and professional expertise who are independent of the candidate’s supervisory team. The School’s Research Degrees Sub-Committee and the PGR Review Sub-Committee monitor the reports from these Panels.

The examination of the research component of the Professional Doctorate has two stages: firstly the submission and preliminary assessment of the research; and secondly its defence by oral examination.

Registration of the research component can only take place following a recommendation from the relevant School Research Degrees Sub-Committee to the university PGR Review Sub-Committee of the suitability of the candidate to undertake research, of the programme of research, of the supervision arrangements and of the research environment. These approvals require appropriate academic judgement to be brought to bear on the viability of each research proposal.

• Good links with NHS trusts, specialist projects, preparation for conference presentations, opportunity to be taught by a range of experts.
• We view our trainees as professionals in training and encourage their active participation in, and ownership of their training.
• Regular reviews and feedback mirrors the programme philosophy of openness, regular review, trainee centred learning and critical analysis
• A programme team with extensive and varied training and clinical experience who are both clinicians and active contributors to the research literature and to developing Counselling Psychology as speciality
• Multi-cultural composition of trainee group, location in a vibrant multi-cultural community and staff and trainee expertise in this area
• The programme prides itself on the time for personal attention and support given to our trainees, (this is detailed further in the section below).

Being awarded a Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology should enhance opportunities for career advancement

Each year group has a programme representative who represents the trainees at programme committee meetings and can represent the trainee group to the programme team. Each year group has a year tutor who is responsible for the smooth running of that year. Trainees are allocated to small research groups. Each trainee is supported in their research by their Director of Studies, supported by the research supervisory team.

Trainees also have access to relevant learning materials available through the learning resource centre which has excellent data bases on line providing many full text articles accessible from UEL or trainees own homes. The learning resource centre also has a range of relevant book and journals and inter-library loans are available. The Graduate School is responsible for providing a focus to the support of our postgraduate research students and for our institution’s research and scholarly strategy.

Professional Doctorate students will have at least two and not normally more than three supervisors, who together demonstrate an appropriate range of academic and professional experience. One supervisor shall be the Director of Studies with responsibility to supervise the candidate on a regular basis.